Adorable moment King’s Guard breaks protocol to nod at little boy who dreams of becoming a beefeater
A LITTLE boy who dreams of becoming a beefeater was thrilled when the King’s Guard broke protocol to greet him at St James’ Palace.
Soldier-obsessed Frank incredibly earned a nod from the deadpan troops after watching them in awe as they marched in unison.
The youngster donned a miniature beefeater uniform and an imitation bearskin for his special trip to St James’ Palace, London.
His efforts clearly impressed the foot guards who dared to glance at Frank as he adorably saluted the procession with pride.
The little lad – dwarfed by his heroes – was mesmerised as the sea of red, black and gold passed by while his father filmed the moment.
He sweetly stands to attention while clutching his version of the King’s Guards‘ iconic gold stick in the clip uploaded to TikTok.
But one of the footmen seemed to be particularly moved by Frank’s dedication – and risked breaking protocol to acknowledge him.
As the trail of guards trots through the gates, the final one to walk past the youngster repeatedly nodded as a sign of respect.
The military men notoriously sport an expressionless demeanour and are not generally allowed to talk to members of the public.
They can be slapped with a £200 fine for grinning or laughing and have to work whatever the weather – hence their lifeless manner.
But the reputation of the King’s Guard has suffered in recent years amid the emergence of clips showing them shouting at tourists.
However, it doesn’t seem to have scared Frank off as he spun around with excitement to show his huge grin and a thumbs up.
Social media users were moved by the heartwarming interaction and shared their thoughts in the comment section.
One said: “The look on that lads face and the thumbs up says it all. Recognised twice by Guards who he idolises is fantastic.
“Big up to the best of the best.”
Another wrote: “That last nod brought tears to my eyes.”
A third said: “How sweet to see this little boy smile from ear to ear.”
A fourth added: “I’d of give anything for that troop to stop turn face him and salute back, that would of broke me up.”
And a fifth chimed in: “How sweet the Guards give the little boy a quick acknowledgement.”
Others said it had “made their day” and pointed out that Frank may have reminded the guards of their younger selves when they aspired to become beefeaters.
The touching video gained a whopping four million views and over 200,000 likes on TikTok.
Frank regularly shares clips showing him getting up close and personal with troops on his account @frankthesoldier1.
We previously told how a carer was left in tears when a King’s Guard broke protocol to pose for a snap with a man with Down’s syndrome.
Despite being famed for keeping still and silent, the soldier squeezed in for the photo with Mike van Erp, 50, and his grinning pal outside Buckingham Palace.
